Rise of the overweight newborn: Doctors worry for mothers' health as number of large babies grows nearly 25%

It seems nearly every week a newborn makes headlines for its jaw-dropping weight - from the 13lbs, 12oz girl born in Pennsylvania in July, to the British boy delivered in March who tipped the scales at 15lbs, 7oz.

And according to a recent study published in medical journal The Lancet, the number of overweight newborns is indeed on the rise, a fact that has both mothers and doctors worried.

The study found that developed countries have seen a 15 to 25per cent increase in babies weighing over 8lbs, 13oz - the weight at which a newborn is considered 'oversized' - in the past two to three decades.

Baby boom: Developed countries have seen a 15 to 25per cent increase in babies weighing over 8lbs, 13 ounces - the weight at which a newborn is considered 'oversized' - in the past 30 years

Safe birth: British mother Maxime Marin (pictured center) was fortunate when her baby, a 13.67lbs girl, was born healthy in Spain earlier this month

Even more shockingly, the number of
instances of Big Baby Syndrome - also known as macrosomia - is growing
in developing countries like Algeria and China as well.

In Algeria, where 30per cent of mothers are obese, the number of oversized newborns has seen a 15per cent increase.